Are you prepared for the next WannaCry?

WannaCry was a fairly recent and extremely high profile cyber-attack, which affected organisations across the UK, including the NHS.  The ransomware worked by locking files and systems on infected computers, demanding the payment of a ransom to unlock the victim’s files. It had been spread by multiple methods, including phishing emails and the exploitation of computers without up-to-date patching.

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of ransomware attacks affecting businesses, with more than 700,000 ransomware attempts recorded in a single year alone. Not only is this type of cyber-attack becoming more common, but it can freeze an entire system and prevent operational continuity, which can prove to be very costly. In addition to the cost of downtime, it is estimated that over £150 million has been paid out by victims of ransomware attacks to the cyber criminals.

So how can you help to protect your business?

Whilst there is no such thing as 100% secure, there are a number of methods that your business can adopt to reduce the likelihood of falling victim to a ransomware attack, and to reduce the impact should you fall victim to a ransomware attack.

These include:

• Implementation of basic cyber security measures – All businesses should ensure that basic cyber security measures such as a firewall, anti-virus, anti-malware and up-to-date patching are in place.
• User awareness and training – Appropriate and effective user training means that your employees are more likely to understand the dangers relating to cyber-security and be more inclined to spot suspicious activities. This can help to prevent a ransomware attack from being successful, but also help to protect against other cyber security threats that are increasing in popularity.
• Business continuity solutions – by having a robust business continuity plan in place your business can be better protected from the risks of a ransomware attack, as well as other potential disasters. An effective business continuity, or backup, solution will enable you to access critical business information and systems should ransomware affect your device.

Eventura have a team of cyber security experts able to help businesses improve their cyber security practices. The team advocates a model of prevent, detect, respond and recover. How this model could work for you depends on your business and risk appetite. To discuss your current security solutions and how you can plan for the future, please do not hesitate to contact us.